After three unsuccessful attempts to award the subsidized ferry route between Porto Torres and the island of Asinara, which is currently served by Delcomar, the Sardinia Region has officially reached out to the Italian shipowners’ associations, Confitarma and Assarmatori, seeking information and recommendations.
This request is not for the immediate determination of a specific subsidy amount (currently, the agreement is valued at approximately EUR 1.5 million annually). Instead, the Region’s competent Directorate General has highlighted ‘the ongoing market failure situation faced by the Sardinia Region due to the lack of interest from shipping companies in participating in the procurement process for the mentioned maritime connection service,’ as stated in an official announcement.
Before initiating a fourth public tender in the near future, the shipowners’ associations have been requested to ‘provide any pertinent information or data by September 30th, which will be valuable in the preparation of the forthcoming tender documents.